Caught off guard and slightly agitated, she was about to collect her thoughts when her phone pinged with a message. Phillip: "Come over here."
What, having a secret rendezvous right under Alfred's nose?
Tina glanced at the message and promptly flipped her phone screen down on the table.
Another notification sounded.
"Or should I come over to ask?"
Even though Phillip usually appeared so composed, his threats carried a surprisingly domineering tone.
"I'm going to the restroom," Tina said, grabbing her phone and standing up.
Turning the corner, the illuminated signs for the men's and women's restrooms were clearly visible, but there was no sign of Phillip. As she looked around, someone grabbed her wrist and pulled her into a nearby janitor's closet.
The door slammed shut behind them, the cramped space filled with shelves and various cleaning supplies, barely enough room for two people to turn around.
The harsh fluorescent light cast stark shadows on Phillip's face, his expression unreadable.
"Is he your bestie?" he demanded, his tone accusatory.
"Is there a problem with that?" Tina retorted.
Phillip's gaze bore into her, his voice cold, "Being besties with your almost-fiancé, hooking up with your ex-fiancé, you're playing quite the field." Tina was speechless.
"I didn't want you to get upset," she mumbled, tugging at his sleeve, "Don't be mad."
"I'm not upset, I promised I'd give you time," Phillip said, though his expression hardly softened, "What did you promise me?"
Backed against the wooden door, with nowhere to run or hide, Tina answered guiltily, "To give you an answer before getting engaged to Alfred." "And your answer?" Phillip pressed.
Tina, head bowed and mind in turmoil, didn't expect to be caught off guard so many times today.
"I want to know where I stand with you," Phillip's tone faded as he continued, "Am I just someone you sleep with?"
Tina wanted to say no, but he
continued, "If I'm just a means for
ovel.net
invested too much time annet
you to fulfill your needs, you've
emotion in me."
"You know that's not true," she said.
"Then why can't you give me an answer?"
Phillip lifted her face to make her look at him. Tina tried to push his hand away, but his grip on her chin tightened. "I've told you, whatever Alfred can offer you, I can too. He's not the man who can take responsibility for your future."
"I don't need him to."
Phillip's expression grew colder, "What does he have that I don't, making it so hard for you to let go?"
Tina's jaw ached from the pressure, cornered by his relentless questioning, all her pent-up emotions breaking through. "He's not better than you in any way, but I don't love him, and that's his biggest advantage!"
Phillip froze.
Tina slapped his hand away and turned her face aside in a huff.
In the ensuing awkward silence, neither spoke for a few seconds.
Just as Phillip was about to break the silence, Tina suddenly covered his mouth with her hand, "Shh..."
Footsteps echoed from the hallway just outside.
Alfred wasn't blind; he'd notice them heading to the restroom one after the other.
Unable to stay put, he had followed them, waiting outside for a moment but neither emerged.
Women being complicated was one thing, but Phillip, a man, spending so long inside?
He checked the men's restroom, but
Phillip was nowhere to be found. The more Alfred thought about it, the greener he felt, unable to stand the thought of them meeting secretly right under his nose.
d.net
He approached a waitress, slipping her a few crisp bills, "Could you check the ladies' room for ladies' room for me? See if there's anyone inside." Content
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